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I can imagine I will get increasingly horizontal, impatient and uncomfortable, and I know many women including myself who like to refract stress via candles (and cold champagne with a caviar nibble, but we'll have to wait a little longer for that!).

Add to that the notoriously long wait at home in the first stages of labour, and it makes sense to be surrounded by smells that make one feel as safe and confident as possible. With that in mind, I have an arsenal of delicious candles ready to light depending on my mood. Here's what's lined up on the du Parcq mantlepiece:

For frustration and impatience:
Of which there will be plenty, so the calming, hands-on-shoulders masculine scent of
Roja Parfums Ambre D'Orient Bougie Parfumee, £75
, is top of the light-up list. It has the warmth of amber with earthy, woody and spicy flickers for a deep, baritone aroma.

For self-confidence:
Because some of us have never done this before, and there may be moments of frightened teariness. There's something innately safe and reassuring about a roaring log-fire but if your home doesn't cater for one, Jo Malone
'Just Like Sunday' Incense & Embers Scented Candle
(out in 2014) is an excellent substitute. Designed by the brand's style editor Charlotte Stockdale, it's like burnt matchsticks, church incense and soft plaid woodchopper shirts all rolled into one.

For pure, utter rage:
Let's face it, there will inevitably be a moment when one wants to shout (Ant'n'Dec style): I'M A HUMAN, GET IT OUT OF MEEEE!' In which case, a spirit-lifting and temper-cleansing jolly citrus might help clear the air.
Jo Loves Lemongrass Candle, £45
, or
Miller Harris Citron Citron, £40
, fit the bill perfectly.

For escalating blood pressure and stress:
Time to call in the big aromatherapy guns. And that doesn't mean a sedative lavender bomb. The serene
Aromatherapy Associates Relax Candle, £34
, contains soothing bay and myrrh, so rather than knock you out it will flood you with calm and control. Just what the midwife ordered.